Kenyan airport’s sole runway closed for over 8 hours after SIA cargo plane hit by engine issues on tarmac

Kenya’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi came to a near standstill for more than eight hours on Monday following an aborted take-off by a Singapore Airlines (SIA) cargo plane that clogged up the airport’s sole runway.

The Boeing 747-400 freighter, which was bound for Amsterdam, had experienced technical issues with one of its engines just as it was about to take off at about 8.10am local time (1.10pm Singapore time).

Although the crew managed to stop the plane, Flight SQ7343, before it was airborne, some of the tyres deflated as it came to a stop on the runway, said an SIA spokesman in response to queries from The Straits Times.

Apologising for the inconvenience, the spokesman said investigations were ongoing.

Kenya’s Ministry of Roads and Transport said in a statement that 11 of the aircraft’s 16 rear tyres had punctured during the incident.

The ministry also said that some 100 tonnes of cargo had to be removed from the plane, which also needed to have its damaged tyres replaced before it could be towed away.

Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for roads and transport Kipchumba Murkomen later said in a Twitter post that the aircraft was removed from the runway at about 4.40pm.

Information on flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed the aircraft starting to taxi onto the runway at JKIA in the wee hours, eventually reaching a maximum ground speed of 151 knots, or about 280kmh, before slowing to a stop.

Pictures posted by netizen Davis Sango on Twitter on Monday show a plane with the SIA livery surrounded by vehicles and people on the tarmac.

“Our top priority is the safety of all passengers and we are working closely with the relevant authorities to resolve this situation as quickly and safely as possible,” the Kenya Airports Authority had said on Twitter before the plane was removed.